Highly dispersible vat dye preparations are made by kneading a vat dye with a protective agent of defined type and a deflocculating agent, and if desired drying and grinding the paste so obtained. Protective agents are defined as the carbohydrate colloids such as dextrin, the alkali salts of lignin sulphonic acid, gelatine, alkali metal silicates, pectin and colloidal clays. Deflocculating agents specified are tannic acid, sulphonated diarylmethanes such as the sodium salt of disulphodinaphthylmethane, and, when carbohydrate colloids such as dextrin are employed as protective agents, these may also act as deflocculating agents. There may also be added (a) diluting agents such as sugar, dextrose, cerelose and xylose or salts, and/or (b) wetting agents such as the alkylnaphthalene sulphonates, e.g. sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and sodium secondarybutylnaphthalene sulphonate, disulphodiarylmethanes such as disulphodinaphthylmethane, the alkali and alkaline earth metal salts of lignin sulphonic acids, sulphonated lauryl, cetyl and similar high molecular alcohols, the ethers of polyglycols such as the ethyl ether of diethylene glycol, and esters of ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as the acetates of the methyl, ethyl or butyl ethers of ethylene glycol, and/or (c) antidusting agent such as glycerine, the acetates or formates of the ethyl, methyl or butyl ethers of ethylene glycol, and the ethyl ether of diethylene glycol, (d) printing assistants such as triethanolamine, glycerine, ethers of ethylene glycol, polyglycols, and diethylene glycol, in the case of pastes, and triethanolamine hydrochloride, silver salt, anthraquinone, and oxalates of metals such as cobalt or iron in the case of powders. Vat dyes specified are anthraflavones such as Anthraflavone G, pyranthrones such as Indanthrene golden orange G, dibenzanthrones and isodibenzanthrones such as Dark blue BO, Vat black BB, Caledon jade green, Indanthrene violet 2R, anthraquinoneazines such as Indanthrene blue GCD, Indanthrene blue BCS, flavanthrones such as Indanthrene yellow G, benzoylaminoanthraquinones such as Algol red 2B, dianthraquinonylamines and ureas such as Algol orange R and Algol yellow 3G, anthrapyridones such as Indanthrene orange RT, anthraquinone acridones such as Indanthrene violet RRN, anthraquinone thioxanthones such as Indanthrene yellow GN, anthraquinone sulphur dyes such as Vat yellow 5G, indigoids and thioindigoids such as indigo, Ciba blue B, Hydron pink in which the bromine atoms are replaced by chlorine, Hydron orange, Hydron scarlet. In examples: (1) Hydron orange press cake is kneaded with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and dextrin, the mixture vacuum dried and ground, and then blended dry with cerelose, triethanolamine hydrochloride, anthraquinone sodium sulphonate, the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol, and b -naphthol; (2) Hydron orange is kneaded with the sodium salt of disulphodinaphthylmethane and yellow dextrine, vacuum dried and ground, and blended dry with cerelose and the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (3) Hydron orange is kneaded with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate, sodium ligninsulphonate and a little water, the product dried and ground and blended with cerelose and the ethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (4) Hydron orange is kneaded as in (1), dried and ground, and converted into a paste with b -naphthol and water; (5) Hydron pink is kneaded with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and dextrin, dried and ground, and blended with cerelose, b -naphthol, and the ethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (6) Tetrabromindigo is kneaded with sodium dinaphthylmethane sulphonate and dextrin, and the mixture dried and ground and blended with cerelose and the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (7) Cibanone blue 3G is kneaded with sodium dinaphthylmethane sulphonate and dextrin, dried and ground, and the powder obtained is then blended with cerelose and triethanolamine hydrochloride; (8) Indigo is kneaded with sodium isopropyl naphthalene sulphonate and dextrin, dried and ground, and blended with xylose and sodium secondary butyl naphthalene sulphonate; (9) Indanthrene black BB is kneaded with dextrin and colloidal clay, and the product dried and ground; (10) Indanthrene blue BCS is kneaded with dextrin, dried, ground, and blended with sodium secondary butyl naphthalenesulphonate; (11) Vat yellow GC is kneaded with dextrine, dried, ground, and blended with triethanolamine hydrochloride. Tests are described for estimating the dispersibility and hygroscopicity of the products.ALSO:Highly dispersible vat dye preparations are made by kneading a vat dye with a protective agent of defined type and a deflocculating agent, and if desired drying and grinding the paste so obtained. Protective agents are defined as the carbohydrate colloids such as dextrin, the alkali salts of lignin sulphonic acid, gelatine, alkali metal silicates, pectin and colloidal clays. Deflocculating agents specified are tannic acid, sulphonated diarylmethanes such as the sodium salt of disulphodinaphthylmethane, and, when carbohydrate colloids such as dextrin are employed as protective agents, these may also serve as deflocculating agents. There may also be added (a) diluting agents such as sugar, dextrose, cerelose and xylose or salts, and/or (b) wetting agents such as the alkylnaphthalene sulphonates, e.g. sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and sodium secondary-butylnaphthalene sulphonate, disulphodiarylmethanes such as disulphodinaphthylmethane, the alkali and alkaline earth metal salts of lignin sulphonic acids, sulphonated lauryl, cetyl and similar high molecular alcohols, the ethers of polyglycols such as the ethyl ether of diethylene glycol, and esters of ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as the acetates of the methyl, ethyl or butyl ethers of ethylene glycol and/or (c) antidusting agent such as glycerine, the acetates or formates of the ethyl, methyl or butyl ethers of ethylene glycol, and the ethyl ether of diethylene glycol, (d) printing assistants such as triethanolamine, glycerine, ethers of ethylene glycol, polyglycols, and diethylene glycol, in the case of pastes, and triethanolamine hydrochloride, silver salt, anthraquinone, and oxalates of metals such as cobalt or iron in the case of powders. Vat dyes specified are anthraflavones such as Anthraflavone G, pyranthrones such as Indanthrene golden orange G, dibenzanthrones and isodibenzanthrones such as Dark blue BO, Vat black BB, Caledon jade green, Indanthrene violet 2R, anthraquinoneazines such as Indanthrene blue GCD, Indanthrene blue BCS, flavanthrones such as Indanthrene yellow G, benzoylaminoanthraquinones such as Algol red 2B, dianthraquinonylamines and ureas such as Algol orange R and Algol yellow 3G, anthrapyridones such as Indanthrene orange RT, anthraquinone acridones such as Indanthrene violet RRN, anthraquinone thioxanthones such as Indanthrene yellow GN, anthraquinone sulphur dyes such as Vat yellow 5G, indigoids and thioindigoids such as indigo, Ciba blue B, Hydron pink in which the bromine atoms are replaced by chlorine, Hydron orange, Hydron scarlet. In examples, (1) Hydron orange press cake is kneaded with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and dextrin, the mixture vacuum dried and ground, and then blended dry with cerelose, triethanolamine hydrochloride, anthraquinone sodium sulphonate, the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol, and b -naphthol; (2) Hydron orange is kneaded with the sodium salt of disulphodinaphthylmethane and yellow dextrine, vacuum dried and ground, and blended dry with cerelose and the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (3) Hydron orange is kneaded with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate, sodium ligninsulphonate and a little water, the product dried and ground and blended with cerelose and the ethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (4) Hydron orange is kneaded as in (1), dried and ground, and converted into a paste with b -naphthol and water; (5) Hydron pink is kneaded with sodium isopropylnaphthalene sulphonate and dextrin, dried and ground, and blended with cerelose, naphthol, and the ethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (6) Tetrabromindigo is kneaded with sodium dinaphthylmethane sulphonate and dextrin, and the mixture dried and ground and blended with cerelose and the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol; (7) Cibanone blue 3G is kneaded with sodium dinaphthylmethane sulphonate and dextrin, dried and ground, and the powder obtained is then blended with cerelose and triethanolamine hydrochloride; (8) Indigo is kneaded with sodium isopropyl naphthalene sulphonate and dextrin, dried and ground, and blended with xylose and sodium secondary butyl naphthalene sulphonate; (9) Indanthrene black BB is kneaded with dextrin and colloidal clay, and the product dried and ground; (10) Indanthrene blue BCS is kneaded with dextrin, dried, ground, and blended with sodium secondary butyl naphthalene sulphonate; (11) Vat yellow GC is kneaded with dextrine, dried, ground, and blended with triethanolamine hydrochloride. Tests are described for estimating the dispersibiity and hygroscopicity of the products.